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Hitomi Ikeda, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

How long did you study at QSoE?
12 weeks (May 6th – Aug 6th)

Why did you want to learn English?
For my future job, I’m not sure which kind of job I will get in the future but I think it’s better to have English skill.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
I could learn many things, not only English. For example different country’s cultures.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston? Go to Movie Theatre was my favourite; I went there at least twice a month. (Every Tuesday is half price)

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
“Tommy’s” in downtown.

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
Core class memory is my favourite, of course I also love other class but core class is more special to me. My teacher was Hee-sook and she taught me many things. She likes talking and because of that, I could know and learn many interesting things, such as Canadian culture and Arabic culture.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
I am a student at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan and my major is human welfare studies and I belong to social organization development course, which is learning how to solve social problems such as NPO. After this program I will go back to Japan and keep continue my bachelor’s degree at KGU.

Any additional comments?
I really love the city of Kingston, it’s not so big city like Toronto but they have everything that I need.

Yuna Kuwano, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
I enrolled in the 12 weeks EAP program.

How long did you study at QSoE?
I have studied at QSoE for 9 months.

Why did you want to learn English?
When I was a child, there was a church near my house and I talked English a lot there. I liked to speak English with native speakers and I also have wanted to go studying abroad since that time.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
I could study with foreigner students and talk with them. They have different culture, background, and values. So my vision was widened.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
In winter, I enjoyed spending time with my host children at the backyard. In summer, there were so many events in Kingston. So I often went there with my friends.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
I like Sushibar Da and Mandarin. At Sushibar Da, I liked their ramen. Mandarin is Chinese buffet. Those desserts are so good!!!

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
I cannot forget Spoken class. Almost all classes, I had to give presentations. That was so hard, but made me tough.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
I enjoyed everything that I experienced in Kingston. Especially, hanging out with my friends, making friends with Queen’s students.

Any additional comments?
I am thankful to my teachers, friends and family. I spent a really great time at QSoE. Through this program, I improved a lot, and I recommend you to learn English at QSoE!!

Tomoyuki Tagaki, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
I enrolled in the 12-week EAP program.

How long did you study at QSoE?
3 months in Summer 2015.

Why did you want to learn English?
I was interested in foreign cultures and wanted to talk with foreign people, especially English speakers because it is the universal language, which meant that I could communicate with a lot of people.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
I liked to study something new at QSoE which provided me with lots of opportunities to learn English. My classmates having great English boosted my studying, so I really enjoyed studying at QSoE.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
In my spare time, I would jog along the lake with my friend. I was able to talk a lot with my friend thanks to it. The nice climate let me feel relaxed, and the view did not allow me to be fed up with the life of Canada.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
My favorite restaurant is the Chinese buffet restaurant, Mandarin. We can eat various kind of food not only Chinese food but also Japanese such as sushi there. Moreover, there are sweets and soup. Though there are already many good points Mandarin has, the best aspect of Mandarin is that the staffs celebrate someone’s birthday and give us the picture of that moment.

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
My favorite memory at QSoE is the class competition. We practiced volleyball to win the competition twice after school because the winners can eat pizza, and we won the game!! I appreciate my classmates doing a lot and my teacher cheering us. We have studied hard for 3 months here, so the good result comes to us. I think I’m happy to be in my class and have the coolest friends.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
I experienced a lot. Many visitors, whose hometown varies, come to my house, so I can talk with different native speakers every week. Thanks to my mother, I have been to brilliant places such as my mother’s cottage having a canoe. I made forgettable memories in Kingston. My host mother tells me about what she learned through her life, which makes me motivated. After I go back to Japan, I have to look for my job, so I’m preparing for my future.

Any additional comments?
I had improved not only my English but my personality; moreover, I had wonderful friends since I came here. I strongly recommend you come to QSoE and spend nice time with great people.

Miho Umemoto, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
EAP Program

How long did you study at QSoE?
4 months

Why did you want to learn English?
English is serving the role as the common language of the world, so I want to study English to communicate with many people and acquire a broad range of knowledge.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
At QSoE, I was able to study English with students from different countries. They had different cultures and values, so I could study not only English but other cultures. Moreover, QSoE teachers are really nice. They are always thinking about students, and they give us useful suggestions.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
I liked to play sports at the ARC and to go shopping in downtown and Cataraqui Centre. Especially I enjoyed play sports at ARC because I was able to play sports with Queen’s students and talk with them.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
My favorite restaurant in Kingston is Smoke’s Poutinerie which is located on Division St. near downtown. International students cannot eat poutine in their home countries, and poutine is one of the most famous Canadian food, so students should try this restaurant!!

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
It is hard to choose one favorite memory at QSoE. I particularly remember that my classmates helped me when I was struggling to complete my assignment. I had totally no idea about that but thanks to them, I was able to finish it. I really appreciate it, and I learned the importance of helping each other.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
I volunteered at Martha’s Table, a restaurant, which serves food to poor people. I was a server, and I was so nervous because it was the first time for me to work in outside of Japan. However, I could enjoy working because the staffs and the customers in Martha’s table were very kind. It was really precious experience. After I return to Japan, I will study international society.

Any additional comments?
I am very proud of being a student ambassador. I’m looking forward to encouraging many students to study English at Queen’s.

Yukie Ikeda, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
I enrolled in the 12-week EAP Program.

How long did you study at QSoE?
I have studied at QSoE for 9 months.

Why did you want to learn English?
Although I have been learning English in Japan, there were only a few opportunities to talk with native speakers. However, a job that I want to get requires English skills, especially speaking. That's why, I wanted to improve my English skills, in particular, speaking.

What did you like about studying at QSoE? I was able to study with students from different countries, which let me learn not only English but also different cultures. During Fall and Winter sessions, QSoE has a program, called Conversation Partner Program, which provides QSoE students with an opportunity to talk with local Queen's students.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
I enjoyed skating and watching hockey games during the winter time, because we can use the skate rink in the Market Square for free. I liked going to Lake Ontario with my friends during the summer.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
My favorite restaurants are “Shima” and “The Works”.

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
I have an unforgettable memory in the spoken class. We went to the elementary school to tell folktales and our own cultures to children as a spoken presentation. I had a really good time with them. ​

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now? Since I like children very much, I volunteered at the elementary school that I visited once as a spoken class. Even though I went there as a volunteer once a week, every time I could learn something new from kids. Now, I am still a QSoE student, but after I graduate from QSoE on 8th of August, 2015, I'm going to go back to Japan and start job hunting.

Any additional comments?
I really appreciate my teachers, friends and family. If I were not studying here, QSoE, I could not experienced such a wonderful life in Kingston, Canada. I highly recommend learning English at Queen's School of English. Thank you!!

Kentaro Hasa, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
12-week EAP Program

How long did you study at QSoE?
3 months in Fall 2011

Why did you want to learn English?
I wanted to learn English because I wanted to improve my English skills, especially my speaking and listening skills. I feel that these English skills will be important for my future job.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
I liked studying English intensively at QSoE, particularly the English-only rule which forced us to only speak English. It helped my English skills improve dramatically and as a result, helped me get used to using English.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
One of my favourite things to do in Kingston was watching a movie at the Empire Theater which is located on Princess Street. On Tuesdays movies are a special price so I often went there with my friends after classes.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
My favorite restaurants are Green Tray and Lone Star. At Green Tray I could eat Asian food at reasonable prices. At Lone Star I liked the western country atmosphere and the food was also pretty delicious.

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
One of my fabulous memories at QSoE is the Santa Claus Parade. I accompanied my friends to decorate the school bus float and walked with them along Princess Street.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
My personal experiences are all the memories I had in Kingston; for example, having dinner with my friends, hanging out with my friends, talking with my host family, etc. Right now, I’m studying English for TOEIC and TOEFL. Also, I’m thinking about my future plans.

Any additional comments?
At QSoE I learned about Canadian culture, studying English, etc. Fortunately, I met international students at QSoE and was able to make friends from different cultures: Canadian, Mexican, Korean, Saudi Arabian and Chinese. Unfortunately, I have to go back to Japan where I’ll keep studying and speaking English. Hopefully one day I’ll come back to Queen’s university as an exchange student. I’d like to study English more to continuously improve my English skills. I’m very grateful that I am able to be a Queen’s School of English Ambassador. Thank you for helping achieve my goal.

Saki Nishika, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
12-week EAP program

How long did you study at QSoE?
12 months from fall 2007 to winter 2008.

Why did you want to learn English?
I had previously tried to interact with people of other nationalities, and my English wasn't adequate enough, which is why I wanted to come to QSoE to study and improve my English speaking skills.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
During my experience at QSoE, I had the opportunity to interact with students from many other cultural backgrounds. We always encouraged and supported each other, and remained good friends even after we've graduated.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
I was very close with my Homestay family, so I spent a lot of time with them. In addition to that, my spare time consisted of shopping, cooking, sports, the cinema and so on. I also especially liked the fall and summer seasons in Kingston.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston?
My favorite restaurant in Kingston is Grecos! I had my birthday dinner there with my host family.

Name one favourite memory from your time at the QSoE?
Regular class time! I still miss those class times a lot.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
I work at a very historical hotel in Japan, where I have to use English on a regular basis with our guests. I'm also hoping to work abroad in the future.

Any Additional Comments?
Time goes by so fast... I graduated from QSoE over 3 years ago, but I still always think about Kingston, and I stay in touch with my host family and friends from QSoE. Last winter, I actually visited Kingston for 2 weeks and made new friends and had a great time. Kingston is like a second home to me.

Mabumi Ezoe, Japan

What Program(s) did you enroll in?
12-week EAP program (and a 3-week tailored program)

How long did you study at QSoE?
4 months

Why did you want to learn English?
I wanted to learn about foreign cultures through studying English.

What did you like about studying at QSoE?
I like the location of Queen’s. Kingston has many amazing places such as Lake Ontario, Downtown, Cataraqui Town Centre, and so on. I had a lot of great experiences there with my friends who came from foreign countries.

What did you like to do in your spare time in Kingston?
I liked to go to the lakeside or water front when I had free time. I had never seen such a beautiful lake in my life, so it made me relaxed if I was very stressed.

What is your favorite restaurant in Kingston? Silver Wok is the best. I always visited there with my friends when I missed Asian cuisine.

Name one favourite memory from your time at QSoE?
I really enjoyed studying English with my classmates with the help from great teachers.

What are your personal experiences? What are you doing now?
Through my experience I learned that I should know my own culture deeply in order to understand foreign cultures. Currently, I’m visiting a lot of places in Japan- it’s very fun and a great opportunity for me